“Architectures” Karl Lagerfeld en collaboration avec Aline Asmar d’Amman
‘Architectures’ is an art collection of functional sculptures designed by Karl Lagerfeld, developed in collaboration with Aline Asmar d’Amman for Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
Inspired by Antiquity, referred to as the origin of beauty, culture and modernity by the designer, the pieces evoke a contemporary architectural landscape with Greek origins.
The ensemble of gueridons, tables, lamps, consoles, fountains and mirrors materialize the perfect balance of classical foundations with a present-day vibe, like a modern mythology.
Each piece is carved from a carefully selected marble block, the Arabescato Fantastico, a rare white marble with dark grey veins which has not been quarried for more than thirty years, or black Nero Marquina marble, curated for its brush stroke-like, milky white veins. The combination of the material uniqueness with the timeless designs makes every piece exclusive.
The exceptional material is then precisely cut, sculpted, faceted and polished in Italy by the best craftsmen, to achieve the vibrant exactness of the elements.The lighting pieces diffuse a specific daylight, the designer particularly appreciates, like a laser blade from the future. The hat shaped shades of the table lamps are distinctively hand-painted in the most traditional technique of decorative arts, pushing the boundaries of craftsmanship and traditions.
Shifting between the Antique and the contemporary, the icons of classics and the finest present skills, the black and white architectonic creations embody Karl Lagerfeld’s timeless monochromatic style.
For this collaboration, the architect Aline Asmar d’Amman carried out the studies and the development of the works created by Karl Lagerfeld.
‘Architectures’ was revealed by Karl Lagerfeld and Aline Asmar of Amman at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris, in November 2018, for the first time. The exhibition has been shown since in London in January 2019 and in New York, in September 2019, at Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
This collection was revealed by Karl Lagerfeld and Aline Asmar of Amman at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris, in November 2018, for the first time. The exhibition has been shown since in London in January 2019 and in New York, in September 2019, at Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
Karl Lagerfeld has photographed the Villa Noailles at Hyères during fall of 1995, with his expert and loving eye. This legacy remains as one of the designer’s tribute to thic iconic architecture both in images and in words.
Excerpt from the foreward by Karl Lagerfeld , Villa Noailles, Hyères-Summer 1995, Steidl
1st excerpt
“THE SHATTERED DREAM OF MODERNITY”
“Each photo is a farewell. A faithful witness to a vanished moment. It’s this fragile, melancholy power that attaches me so much to photography.
The Villa Noailles is a timelessly modern place. It has lived through more than seventy years of our century, almost in ruins, but without wrinkles. It was loved - then abandoned - forgotten, and then one day it was discovered to be a perfect symbol for all that is considered “modern” today.
The talent of its architect, Rob Mallet-Stevens, and the spirit of its owner, Viscount Charles de Noailles, had turned it into something magical.””
Karl Lagerfeld, Fall 1995
2nd excerpt
“THE SHATTERED DREAM OF MODERNITY”
“The Villa Noailles is slowly coming back to life. Its wounded décor and past splendors combine to give it an emotional force that perfect, over-finished things fail to express. It is as vulnerable as the moment. Photography gives its mystery a new dimension”.
Karl Lagerfeld, Fall 1995
“ One of the first books I read was “The lliad”, I love Greek mythology, I prefer it to Nibelungen and I regret abandoning Ancient Greek when I left school. (…)
I love the expression ‘modern mythology’. There’s nothing really new but it’s timeless, never out of fashion. They didn’t know about bad taste. Nothing is more modern than Antiquity.”
Karl Lagerfeld, excerpt from the movie about the exhibition ‘ Architectures ’
“ Working with Karl Lagerfeld was an immense privilege, not only because he’s the design maverick with multifaceted talent in every creative field but because his knowledge is cross-disciplinary, and the transmission of this knowledge was extremely generous.
Karl’s ability to deliver an interpretation of an idea was unique. The work process is his very own cultivated language where fashion, photography, literature, history, architecture, artistic references and craftsmanship come together as one.
During one of our workshops, Karl sketched a sculptural lamp and said : ‘Let’s develop a collection of functional sculptures, like Architectures, a tribute to Greek beauty!’ The thrill was intense as I would embark with Karl on yet another project. ( after our collaboration on Hotel de Crillon’s exceptional suites ‘Les Grands Appartements’.
Karl imagined tables, mirrors, gueridons, consoles, all in black and white rare marbles, with the perfect proportions of Greek temples, a landscape of modern mythology with a presence so bold, it would cross ages intact. I oversaw the developments of the pieces bringing Karl’s ideas to life, going back and forth from Paris to Italy, choosing the rare marble blocs, perfectly shaping every technical detail to his vision.
I always admired the Carpenters Workshop Gallery for their commitment to pushing the boundaries of art and design, so did Karl. I proposed the idea to Julien and Loïc and and they were immediately seduced! It moves me to know this was one of the last unique collection Karl developed before he left us.
Like a gift of eternity, his presence is felt in many creative fields. His legacy is here to stay, impeccable and inspiring as ever, for many generations to come. ”
Aline Asmar d’Amman
« I’m delighted to see these works exhibited at the Ancien Evêché of Toulon, for Design Parade, the 7th Interior Design Festival of the Villa Noailles. Karl Lagerfeld and Aline Asmar d’Amman’s works share a quality of timeless modernity incarnated by this cultural institution and its iconic architecture. »
Julien Lombrail, Carpenters Workshop Gallery co-founder
From functional art to collectible design, Carpenters Workshop Gallery produces and exhibits functional sculptures by rising and established international artists and designers who break out of traditional areas of expression.
Actively involved in the research and production of limited edition works, the gallery’s choices are guided by a search for emotional, artistic and historical relevance and by the breaking of boundaries between art and design.
Carpenters Workshop Gallery relies on the partnership of childhood friends, Julien Lombrail and Loic Le Gaillard, who first opened a space in London’s Chelsea in 2006, in a former carpenter’s workshop. Since then, Carpenters has expanded to operate four galleries worldwide, with one each situated in key locations of London, Paris, New York City, and Los Angeles.
In 2015, the gallery opened The Workshop in Roissy, a unique 8,000-square-metre space dedicated to artistic research and bringing together elite artisans.
Today, Carpenters Workshop Gallery London, situated within Notting Hill’s leading arts hub, Ladbroke Hall, is the latest step in the gallery’s remarkable development. This latest venture confirms the leadership and dominant position of Carpenters in today’s international territory of art and design.